﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  191 
  

  

  keep 
  the 
  wood 
  from 
  resting 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  heat 
  

   may 
  have 
  full 
  play 
  upon 
  tlie 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  soil. 
  The 
  fires 
  

   being 
  set, 
  they 
  are 
  kept 
  burning 
  for 
  two 
  hours 
  or 
  more, 
  

   when 
  the 
  whole 
  layer 
  is 
  moved 
  forward 
  by 
  hooks, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   cover 
  another 
  space 
  of 
  the 
  intended 
  seed-bed; 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  

   ke{)t 
  up 
  until 
  a 
  plat 
  is 
  burned 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  desired. 
  Another 
  

   method 
  is 
  to 
  la}' 
  down 
  brush 
  and 
  bits 
  of 
  wood 
  atone 
  end 
  of 
  

   the 
  bed 
  space 
  until 
  the 
  pile 
  is 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  feet 
  high. 
  Apjiiust 
  

   this 
  pile 
  brush 
  from 
  tree 
  tops 
  is 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  position 
  nearlv 
  

   vertical, 
  inclining 
  against 
  the 
  foundation 
  sufiiciently 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  its 
  falling 
  back 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  ; 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  continued 
  

   until 
  the 
  full 
  space 
  intended 
  for 
  the 
  plant 
  bed 
  is 
  covered. 
  

   A 
  platform 
  of 
  wood 
  is 
  then 
  put 
  on 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  brush, 
  and 
  the 
  

   fire 
  set 
  on 
  the 
  windward 
  side. 
  Still 
  another 
  plan 
  is 
  some- 
  

   times 
  adopted, 
  which 
  saves 
  ihe 
  hard 
  labor 
  of 
  covering 
  the 
  

   brush 
  with 
  heavy 
  wood. 
  After 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  8 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  

   space 
  has 
  been 
  covered 
  with 
  brush 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  nearly 
  ver- 
  

   tical 
  position, 
  logs 
  or 
  sticks 
  of 
  wood 
  8 
  feet 
  long 
  are 
  set 
  on 
  

   end, 
  leaning 
  against 
  the 
  brush. 
  Eight 
  feet 
  more 
  of 
  brush 
  

   is 
  followed 
  by 
  another 
  layer 
  of 
  wood, 
  and 
  so 
  on 
  until 
  the 
  

   whole 
  space 
  is 
  covered. 
  When 
  fired, 
  the 
  brush 
  burns 
  out 
  

   quickly, 
  but 
  not 
  before 
  it 
  has 
  set 
  the 
  wood 
  on 
  fire, 
  which, 
  

   falling 
  all 
  in 
  one 
  direction, 
  covers 
  the 
  whole 
  surface 
  with 
  

   hotly-burning 
  wood. 
  Old 
  broken 
  rails, 
  thrown 
  aside 
  in 
  

   resetting 
  fences, 
  and 
  old 
  logs 
  from 
  dilapidated 
  buildings 
  are 
  

   preferred, 
  because 
  they 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  seasoned 
  and 
  burn 
  

   freely. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  bed 
  has 
  cooled 
  off 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  dug 
  up 
  with 
  

   grub 
  hoes 
  or 
  worked 
  lightly 
  and 
  closely 
  with 
  a 
  colter 
  plow. 
  

   The 
  ashes 
  should 
  be 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  bed, 
  and 
  in 
  working 
  the 
  

   soil 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  reversed 
  as 
  little 
  as 
  possible. 
  All 
  grubs, 
  

   roots, 
  and 
  large 
  stones 
  should 
  be 
  removed, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  

   soil 
  should 
  be 
  worked 
  thoroughly 
  and 
  carefully 
  several 
  

   times 
  with 
  hoes 
  or 
  rakes 
  until 
  it 
  is 
  perfectly 
  light 
  and 
  mel- 
  

   low. 
  When 
  in 
  proper 
  condition 
  marks 
  are 
  made 
  four 
  feet 
  

   apart 
  to 
  regulate 
  the 
  sowing 
  of 
  the 
  seed. 
  About 
  one 
  large 
  

   heaping 
  tablcspoonful 
  is 
  enough 
  to 
  sow 
  one 
  hundred 
  square 
  

   yards. 
  The 
  seed 
  is 
  mixed 
  with 
  ashes 
  oi* 
  plaster, 
  one 
  half 
  

   of 
  the 
  mixture 
  being 
  sown 
  as 
  evenly 
  as 
  possible 
  over 
  the 
  

   entire 
  bed, 
  when 
  the 
  other 
  half 
  is 
  sown 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way. 
  

   This 
  is 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  more 
  equal 
  distribution 
  of 
  

   the 
  seed. 
  The 
  bed 
  is 
  then 
  tramped 
  or 
  rolled, 
  and 
  finally 
  

   covered 
  with 
  light 
  brush 
  — 
  the 
  smaller 
  branches 
  of 
  dogwood, 
  

  

  